Pokémon Go – how your business can catch ’em all

As an adult you might not get the whole Pokémon GO craze (or like me you have had a go yourself), but this could be the marketing tool that your business has been looking for.

For those of you that do not know how Pokémon GO works, it is an ‘augmented reality’ game that allows trainers (you) to navigate Pokémon using a map, which is facilitated by Google Maps. However, it is the resources within the game that you can take really advantage of as a business.

To catch Pokémon, you need pokéballs, which you can buy or you can find them for free at a ‘pokéstop’. Many Cafes, pubs, restaurants, museums and other types of businesses have found that they are or are very near a pokéstop. This has caused a lot of annoyance to some business owners, but others have welcomed the rise in footfall, with many in the US experiencing an increase in profits as a result.

The main reason for this is that as a pokéstop you can buy a ‘lure module’ to attract wild Pokémon and in effect, trainers. These lure modules cost just 79p or less if you buy multiple and last for 30 minutes leaving customers enough time to grab a drink, something to eat or browse your store. If you really want to make the most of this increase in footfall you can hold lure events and offer discounts to the Pokémon trainers. A great example of the benefit of the lure module is at L’inizio Pizza bar in New York City who has reported a 75% increase in sales at their pokéstop!

Please be aware that you only have to go nearby the pokestop to find the Pokémon and reap the benefits. For this reason, make sure you are making any special offers clear to those passing by with a chalk board or a flyer in the window.

Other businesses have found that they have become a Pokémon gym, which has also worked very well for them. At a Pokémon gym trainers battle among each other to win ownership of the gym. Here is another opportunity for you as a business to attract trainers by offering discounts or even free products to the gym owners if they can prove it with their gamer id. Perhaps the best thing about being a gym is that the gym owners need multiple members to hold the gym title, meaning more and more potential customers. If you really wanted to get involved in the competition you could put a gym leader board up for the punters.

You might not currently be a pokéstop or a gym, but Niantic’s CEO has expressed an interest in allowing businesses to pay for it in the future. Alternatively, you can still hold a hunt for Pokémon around your local area. Design a route for your customers/trainers that invites them back for a coffee or lunch. You could even have your staff join in, wearing branded t-shirts and socialising with the customers to better promote the business.

How about one for the adults – a Pokémon pub crawl.

Tonnes of over 18’s are playing Pokémon Go, as they remember being involved in the phenomena when it first came to the UK. Have a chat with some other local pubs and restaurants to design a trail and get them advertising it too, so that you can all hopefully take advantage.

If you do decide to get involved with Pokémon, make sure you are getting social! Utilise your social media pages by posting any Pokémon that you find on the app yourself in store, demonstrating that you are a hotspot for catching any Pokémon. Ensure that you post any offers that you decide to give to trainers because the chances are that people will travel out to visit you.

However, if you don’t want people using your business for Pokémon Go then you are quite within your right to put a stop to it. Do not feel obliged to let people hang around your premises if they aren’t purchasing anything. If you get really fed up, you can send a report to Niantic Labs to request to be removed as a Poke stop or a gym. Although, it may take a while.

Beyond any negative press, Pokémon Go has got people going out socialising, exercising and visiting museums again. So, if you want to get involved make sure you get on the bandwagon quickly, as the summer holidays start next week, making it the perfect opportunity. In this day and age, you never know whether the craze might fizzle out!